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Saturday Baking

January 15, 2011 - 7:56pm

breadsong

Saturday Baking

Hello,

I've been watching shaping videos, including brand a new one! from Mark at The Back Home Bakery, thanks to freerk's recent post (please see his post here...) and everyone who responded! And many thanks to Mark and those who take the time to make these videos; they are such a great resource.

There was nothing to do except get my hands in some dough!

My husband had a craving for a simple white bread, so I made a batch of Mr. Hamelman's Toast Bread (I snuck in 3% of my Red Fife whole wheat flour for some extra flavor). I made 1.5 times the recipe so I would have a little extra to practice shaping with. This quantity made a pullman loaf, a small batard, and two different sizes of couronne bordelaise:

I shaped the small batard trying to use Mark's technique he just posted.I shaped the couronnes using 1.5 ounce boules for the small one (proofed in a plastic wicker basket), and 2 ounce boules for the bigger one.I rolled the dough circle for the small couronne a bit thicker, and am happier with the result after baking.

I gave my firebricks (I use these in place of a baking stone) a rest today, and was happy with how the bread baked and rose in the oven in the absence of using a stone. The loaves were nice and crackly too, after baking.

Still having some candied orange peel left over from Christmas baking, I made Gibassier (Ciril Hitz's beautiful recipe).This is an orange and anise-flavored enriched dough, and the flavor is absolutely-out-of-this-world!!! I am so glad I made these!:

SylviaH made these too; I found her post today - please see here. I think she did a much nicer job than I!

The videos are fantastic and were a big help for trying the couronnes.And Mark's video was amazing, showing very clearly and slowly what's supposed to happen.Mr. Hitz's Gibassier is one of the most delicious sweet breads I've ever tasted. I wanted to make something special for Sunday morning breakfast, but my husband I couldn't wait to taste and so shared one...before dinner!From breadsong

I'd never heard of gibassier until i got Hitz's book, and they went on my "to bake" list immediately, where they have remained. I had one for the first time at the Pearl Bakery in Portland last Summer, and it was delicious. They will remain on my "to bake" list. Maybe they'll float to the top, but I first have to take off the very stubborn extra weight i gained testing recipes for Norm and Stan's book last Summer.

The clarified butter the Gibassier are brushed with, and the sugar they are dredged in, definitely don't help in the calorie department! But my goodness they taste incredible - something to look forward to on the 'to bake' list. When something like Gibassier comes along, my 'to bake' list might get shorter, but my 'favorites' list gets longer! Thanks, from breadsong

Hello, Saturday's breads did all taste very good and my husband was happy with his Toast Bread. I've always been very very happy with Mr. Hamelman's formulas and now another one, too from Mr. Hitz! Thanks, from breadsong

That was my first thought as I viewed all your breads and pastries...I love the gibassier, and I keep getting organic oranges but cant seem to get those peels candied, so I can make bake a batch...yours are ever so delicious and beautiful and it was a very kind of you to mention my bake. I think they taste even better the next day.

Hello Sylvia, Thank you so much. We shared another Gibassier at breakfast and they are still fabulous!, with the anise flavor a little more pronounced than yesterday. I was so happy to have orange flower water on hand - it lends a wonderful perfume along with the peel, anise and olive oil. I just love the way the flavors blend together in this bread!I thought you did a lovely job shaping your Gibassier, and great photos too in your post.Thanks again, from breadsong

I picked up an inexpensive little plastic wicker-style basket, hoping it would provide a pretty flour pattern for a couronne. In addition to the flour pattern, I was happy to see the basket also left impressions and embossed the dough a little bit, too!

I found Mr. Hamelman's formula for Toast Bread a good one to practice shaping with; at 66% hydration, it wasn't too sticky and held its shape well, and was good to work with for the shapes I was practicing yesterday.

Improving on shaping and getting good surface tension on loaves has been helping me with scoring.

I think I'll have to put those gibassier on my to do list as well, they sound wonderful. Mark did make a really good shaping video, but you're obviously a quick study to pick it up so fast and with such good results. Beautiful shaping and baking on all your items, nicely done!

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